Apparatus for practice rowing



(No Model.)

J. R. LOMAS.

APPARATUS 190R PRACTICE ROWING.

No. 249,644. Patented Nov. 15,1881.

N. PETERS. Plluln-Ullngmpber. Washingluu, 11C,

UNiTED STATES cafe,

JOHN R. LOMAS, or when: HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

APeAnATus FOR PRXdiiC R ot/ vine.

' Application filed Augustlil, 1881. (No model.) I To all whom it mayconcern: 170,8,Willioth right an or to rock, The

\ 13c it known that I, JOHN R. LOMAS, of West shorter arm D of saidlever extends upward, l layen, in the county of New Haven and State andfrom it an arm, h, iprojectsover the table, o f Oonnecticun'haveinvented newApparatus and carriesa marker, which bears upon;the 5 for;Practice Rowing; and I do hereby declare surface of the, paper and willmark on that the following, when taken in connection with surface as thepaper moves over the table! If 5 theaccompanying drawings and theletters of the boat be stationary, that markwillbe reference markedthereon, to be a full, clear, straight. It theboatadvanoesorretre ats,,such and exact description of the same, and which movement willbeindicated on the surface of to said drawings constitute part of thisspecificati'on', and represent, in h igure ha perspective view; Fig. 2,a sectional side view. A I This invention relates to an apparatus for r5 practice rowing wherein theoarsman mayrow precisely as if in a boat,the object being an thepaperby variationsin that mark, v 7 I 1?is'aspring, one end of whichhasa sta- 6o tionary bearing, the other,connected to the arm DoftheJev er, as at hs o that asthe boatadvancesthe spring will, be compressed Thereactionvotlth e spring will draw theboat astern. The oarsm antake's his place irrthe boat,;and applies hisOars t0 the water in the usual man ner for, rowing, and whatever power.heapplies draws correspondinglynpon, the spring F and movesthe marker 2'on thesurtace ot' the paper, Thepower of the spring being 7o known,tthemarker on the paper will indicate the power which the. oarsman hasapplied in rowing, and. will also, indicate the regularity with which hehas applied that power and: the rapidity with wliichhe gathers himselffor. a new stroke, because after each stroke there t will,b'e a reactionof .the spring to draw the Arepres'ents thetank, which in size is sut';boat'astern, which will be indicatedon the 3'0 ficien't to contain theboat 13, in which the carssurface ofthe paper, andthe timehetakesto maiiistosih'and allow for movement of that reapply his power willtherefore, be indicated boat, to some extent longitudinally, and also bythe variation in thatline. Thus while rowsid'ewise movement. This tankis filled with ing in theusualmanner he attains all theex watersay tothe line a a,and the boat set ercise which rowing gives him in openwater 35 upjonfthewater within thetank. The boatmay and a record. isnade. of every stroke which be'of any suitable construction, accordingto he'taks, nothonly to shown-what amount of thetaste .or vrequirementsof the oarsrnan. At powerhe applies, but the regularity with whichIJbWfiiWhlQh he applies tothe oars, and also I theluniformitywith whichheapplies that power 20 tothe car of each hand; and it consists in amechanism arranged at a stationary poinhwith mechanism, wherebythe powerwhich theoarsman applies through his oars inthe water will b '2 5 beindicated, and also in mechanism which will indicate thedifference, ifthere be any, in' the power applied to the two oars which he holds,aslnore fully hereinafter described.

on'eend of the tankisaplatforin,0, which con; he,appl'ies it L I V I;penis aclock-work that will'impart to a roller, One thing, essential. togood rowing is that 40 djand a roller, e, a rotative movement, so asthejoarsman shall pull with uniformity upon to carrya strip of paperwhichis wound'upon' both cars. To indicate anyirregularity which oneover a table, f, ata given or predetermined heimay lnake and which ,hemay cureby'knowrate of movement. This paper is preferably ingit, Iarrange a vertical rock-shaft,L,.carryrifled with longitudinal andtransverse lines ing a crank, n, atits uppertenchfronrthe pin 43 sa ttento the inch. D is one arm of a lever, of which amarker,'m, extendsover the, paper,

uponastationary fulcrum,h, and,extendsimilar to the arm and markeri. Hlfr'omthe 5 ing'down, is connected by a rod, E, to the boat. lower endof the rock-shaft L an arm, N, ,ex- The connection between the rod E andthe'boat tends outward toward the boat and engages ls's'uchas to giveperfect freedom to the boat with the rod E, so that any side movement ofl6 boat, which will, of course, impart a corre- )ondin g vibration tothe arm IE, will also give the arm N alike vibration and turn therockiaft L, which will draw the marker attached it toward or from oneedge of the paper, as

1e case may be. If the rowing be regular, so

hat a constant forward straight line is main ained by the boat, then themark made by he marker in will be a constant straight line; vut if agreater force be applied to one oar ban to the other, which will tend tothrow the mat to one side or the other, then such side novement willbeindicated, and the oarsman, liscoverin g such irregularity,may endeavorto Lure it in future. Thus in a single tank, which may be in anyconvenient place for the oarsman, he is enabled to practice underinstruction better than can be done by any coaching on open water,because any possible variation in his rowing will be indicated by themarkers.

To break the swash produced by the rowing, a perforated partition, 1?,is placed across the tank at some distance astern of the boat, so thatthe waves are broken at that point as the water flows through. As therewill be naturally a return movement in a tank of this character producedby the return of the water from the effect of the ear, and as thisreturn will naturally'flow to the outer sides of the tank, I arrange apartition, It, at each side longitudinally of the tank, and between thepartitions the boat rides. The space outside the said partitions willform a channel, through which the return water will pass.

While designed with special reference to gymnasiums or other placeswhere rowing practice is desirable, it will be understood that therecording apparatus may be applied at any stationary point on the bankof a stream or lake, and the boat attachedthereto in the same manner asherein described as applied to the apparatus in a tank, the platform 0representing the bank or any stationary point near or upon the surfaceof the water. I therefore do not wish to be understood as confining myinvention to a tank.

In some cases it may not be desirable to record the regularity of thestrokes of the two oars held by the oarsman, or that feature may bedesirable without recording the power applied or the regularity of thepull; hence I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to thecombined apparatus for recording both.

Other arrangements for moving the paper or surface on which the recordis made maybe employed. For instance, it may bea cylinder and the marking produced on the surface of the cylinder, a single revolution of thecylinder indicating a certain time.

Instead of a spring, it will be understood a weight may be applied asresistance against which the pulling is to be made.

I claim- 1. The combination of a boat resting upon the surface of thewater, a yielding resisting device attached at a stationary point andconnected to the boat, and a recording mechanism substantially such asdescribed at said stationary point, and also in connection with theboat,-whereby the direct pull upon the boat will beindicated by saidrecording mechanism, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a boat resting upon the surface of the water andsecured by connection to a stationary point, so as to be free to swin gto the right or left, a recording mechanism substantially such asdescribed, in connection with the boat, whereby the sidewise movement ofthe boat is indicated by said recording mechanism, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of a boat resting upon the surface of the water, ayielding resisting device attached at a stationary point and connectedto the boat, and a recording mechanism substantially such as describedat said stationary point, and also in connection with the boat, wherebythe direct pull upon the boat will be indicated by said recordingmechanism, anda o mechanism substantially such as described at saidstationary point, also in connection with the boat, whereby the sideswinging movement of the boat is recorded, substantially as specitied. 95

4. The combination of a tank containing water, a boat resting upon thesurface of the water in the tank, a yielding resisting device arrangedupon a stationary platform and connected to the boat, and a recordingmechanism substantially such as described on said platform, and also inconnection with the boat, whereby the direct pull upon the boat will beindicated by said recording mechanism, substantially as described. 10 55. The combination of a tank containing water, a boat resting upon thesurface of the water and secured by connections to a stationary point,so as to be free to swing to' the right or left, a recording mechanismsubstantially I 10 such as described,in connection with the boat,whereby the sidewise movement of the boatis indicated by the saidrecording mechanism, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a tank containing water, a boat resting upon thesurface of the water in the tank, a yielding resisting device arrangedupon a stationary platform and connected to the boat, and a recordingmechanism substantially such as described on said platform, and also inconnection with the boat, whereby the direct pull upon the boat will beindicated by said recording mechanism, and a recording mechanismsubstantially such as described, in connection with the boat, wherebythe sidewise movement of the boat is indicated by the said recordin gmechanism, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a tank containing water, a boat resting on thesurface of the wa- 1 o ter, in connection with a stationary recordingmechanism which will indicate the pull by the oarsman, and channels ateach side the tank for the return flow of the water, substantially asdescribed. I

8. The combination of a tank containing water, a boat resting on thesurface of the water, in connection with a stationary recordingmechanism which will indicate the pull by the oarsman, and theperforated partition 1? across 10 the tank astern of the boat,substantially as and for the purpose described.

JOHN R. 'LOMAS. Witnesses:

JOHN E. EARLE, 'LELLIAN D. ROGERS.

